From The Heart
by paperdemons
Summary: Count D has a new visitor. He seems to have taken a shine to her too. The thing is, not many people like her. Is there a reason to not like her? Or is the count right this time? What sort of things will this girl cause? Rated for safety. Complete!
1. Distinct

Distinct  
The pet shop was oddly quiet that morning. Detective Orcot had not yet stopped by and most of the animals lay lazily on the finely made rug. T- chan lifted his head and looked around the almost dark pet shop with half closed eyes before putting his head back down. He knew something was coming but he decided it was nothing to worry about and it wasn't that idiot detective the count had made friends with. The count finally finished entertaining himself with cleaning and since he realized the animals weren't in the mood for play, he walked to the back room. The sight of Count D leave arose most of the animals so they followed him to the back.  
Meanwhile, a few blocks away, a woman was walking down the street with a dog, a German shepherd to be exact. The woman wore long sleeves despite the warm weather. Her black shirt had strings woven down the center in the front that tied like a corset. It was decorated with fire in which the tips came out from the center of the woven front and extended to the shoulders. She wore tall boots and black pants which were cut at the ends. Though no one could see them, she was also wearing gothic style fishnets as socks. Most saw her as a threat and she knew it, but today she would find out, not all people have the same view of her. Rather, animals have a different insight to her personality. Though she knew animals loved her already and she loved them in return, today's lesson would be a bit different than the others animals have taught her.  
The woman pushed open the door to the pet shop nervously. "Okay, I'm in. I'm actually going to visit the pet shop I've wanted to visit since I was thirteen" she said to her dog. She looked around for a while. "Where are the animals? And doesn't anyone work here?" she asked her dog, confused. Just then she spotted a tarantula in a glass case on a beautifully carved and lacquered table. Under the case there was a silky green almost tablecloth-like fabric hanging loosely over the sharp edges of the table. The woman reached for the case. She withdrew and looked to her dog. To her, her dog did not look like a dog; it looked like how the animals at the pet shop looked in count D's eyes...human. "What would a real Goth do here, Ginger?" she asked her dog. Ginger laughed at her owner's pathetic display. "What are you worried about? You always do simple yet rule-bending things like this" said the humanoid Ginger. Once again the woman reached for the case and once again she hesitated and pulled away. Just then the sound of footsteps was heard coming from the back room. The two of them quickly turned to see who was coming. Count D emerged from the darkness. Oddly enough, the back area of the pet shop was the only darkened spot in the entire place. Ginger took off as fast as she could toward the count. Though she didn't know him she leapt on top of him and began showing cute signs of affection. "I like him, Taki!" she said to the woman. "You like everyone, Ginger" said Taki in an unmoved tone. D looked at Taki curiously. "Did she just...understand her?" he thought to himself. Ginger voluntarily got off of the count and walked towards Taki. Taki pet her dog affectionately and talked to her in a little kid voice. Ginger simply put her head down on Taki's knee. "Are we buying anything today?" Ginger asked. "No, not today, Ginger" Taki answered. Taki waited for a "what are you doing?" or a "you're crazy" remark to come out of D's mouth, but to her surprise, there was none. Taki began to look at the animals that had followed Count D. She eyed the Totetsu and it eyed Ginger. Ginger was a tough dog. After all, her first owners abandoned her as a puppy so she learned to fight for herself. At times that proved to be a bad thing since Ginger always attacked any animal she saw if they were too close, and if they were far away, she would bark furiously. Ginger knew T-chan was going to challenge her so she waited for the opportunity. The Totetsu stepped forward.  
"Hey, is there something wrong with you? Because it looks to me like you think you're tough, but to me, you look as weak as a little puppy" he said.  
"Now, now T-chan. Clam down" said D trying as hard as he could to hold off a fight.  
"I'm tough enough to take care of you" said Ginger as she jumped up and began fighting the Totetsu. Ginger threw T-chan to the floor and began biting his shoulders. She moved up and was starting to make her way towards his neck. T-chan tried to push her off but Ginger proved too strong willed to be moved. He finally fulfilled his resolution and flipped her over. He bit her a few times but Ginger grabbed a hold of his wrists. She squeezed his wrists tight and threw him off. "Leave me alone..." said Ginger, turning her back to the wounded T-chan.  
"You're not half bad" said T-chan trying not to sound impressed. The two pets then remembered their owners and looked up at them. Taki and D were just sitting back with a look of shock on their faces. Ginger looked down and began straightening out her short sleeved army camouflage shirt. She looked down at her pants. They were like Capri's but cut a little farther down. Two things that looked like suspender straps were clipped on to her pants and they dangled loosely. Bother her shirt and pants were purposely torn to give her the grunge look. Taki's attire was almost the same. They wore these clothes not for fashion, but to symbolize what sorts of hardship they went through all their lives. Both wore a spiked choker to symbolize their oppression, though they never told anyone that was the purpose for it, as they would never understand.  
Now Taki was really embarrassed. She began to get up and she called to Ginger.  
"No, wait!" D called. Taki turned around quickly. Though she didn't show it, she was a bit shocked. "Please, don't leave. It wasn't your fault" he said in his usual calm voice. Taki walked back and slowly sat down. "Would you care for some tea?" he asked politely, as usual. Taki looked around as if she was expecting to see someone else there. No one had ever been so polite to her. Everyone else just...judged her. She then realized she had not answered the count. She looked at him, and found she was too dazed to even speak. In order to keep herself from sounding stupid in an attempt to talk, she simply nodded. Ginger pulled on Taki's shirt. "What's wrong, Taki? Don't worry; I can sense that he's nice. Besides, I wouldn't let him hurt you" said Ginger. D smiled at Ginger's words. Ginger looked at him puzzled. Could he understand her?  
"I know you wouldn't Ginger. That's why I'm worried" Taki answered. Ginger playfully punched her owner in the shoulder and giggled.  
Count D went to go get the tea. He returned with two delicate, white, porcelain tea cups with elaborate blue designs. Taki sipped the tea slowly. "Oh my, there's a lot of sugar in it!" she commented.  
"My apologies, I have a bit of a sweet tooth. I wasn't thinking about you when I put the sugar in it. I'm terribly sorry. I can make you another if you like" said the count apologetically.  
"No, no. It's quite alright. In fact, I love it with a lot of sugar. It's just; no ones ever made it that way before. I usually have to put more sugar in. I'm actually quite delighted" Taki answered with a smile. She then looked down and noticed the once dormant Ginger was inching toward the tea cup. "Ginger, I see you're thirsty, correct?" she asked. Ginger turned around swiftly, her short black and brown-streaked hair slightly bouncing behind her.  
"No, I'm fine" said Ginger trying to brush off the fact that she was going to steal a sip of tea.  
"She's quite lovely" D said. He decided to take a long shot by saying something that would indicate he could speak the tongue of the animals. "By the things she says to you, it's obvious you have a good companion" he said hoping he wouldn't sound crazy to her. Taki almost jumped when she heard this. She couldn't believe he could actually understand animals as well. However she realized long before she met the count that she couldn't be the only one in the world with her capability.  
Just as Taki was about to answer him the door was pushed open by a tall man with long blonde hair. "Detective....well ....what a... pleasant surprise?" said the count, lost for words.  
"Sorry count, but I'm going to have to ask you to watch Chris today. I just got a call from the office. The chief says they need help working on an important case and they're a little short handed so I have to go help" said the detective not even noticing the count had a guest. The count sighed and let Chris in.  
"Bye Leon!" said Chris.  
"See you later, little bro" Leon answered.  
Taki thought for a moment. Chris's lips didn't move when he said good- bye to his brother. It was like he could talk telekinetically. Taki didn't look into it much further. "Okay, so I'm clairvoyant now, what else will I find out is weird about me. Next thing you know I'll be on 'Beyond Belief.' I can hear it now: 'Is this girl really that weird, or is this just a story made up by our writers?' And everyone watching is going to say: 'Oh, God... it's a lie! No one's that messed up!'" she thought. Then she realized Chris and the count were looking at her strangely for she had a blank look on her face, as if she were falling asleep. Taki blushed a little. "Oh great, I made a fool out of myself! Again!" she thought.  
"Who's that?" asked Chris.  
"Her name is...oh my, how rude of me! I didn't even ask for the lady's name!" he said. "Ma'am, please forgive me. I haven't yet asked your name" he said.  
"I'm Taki, half Chinese, and half Mexican. I should be working right now but I quit my job as a vet because of that pet hospital's terrible condition. Yes, that's me" she said.  
"What's her dog's name?" Chris asked.  
"She's Ginger" said Taki, once again stunning the count. "Oh, please excuse me as well. I didn't ask for your name. But I'm assuming you're Count D, am I correct?" she asked the Count.  
"Actually, my grandfather is the count. I am just attending to his shop while he's abroad, doing business across the world" he answered. "Please tell me Miss. Taki, in which way was the pet hospital terrible?" he asked.  
"Well, it seemed that everyone there never tried to help the pet. Whenever they just didn't want to try, they didn't. They always guessed if the animal would live or not, instead of trying to help it to see its real condition. Every time I tired to help they scolded me. Even if the animal lived they would say: 'That was dangerous and stupid.' They treated me like I'd never been to vet school before. They weren't even older than me or working there much longer than me. No, they were just lazy pigs that only wanted money. They cared nothing for animal life. It sickened me everyday, so I quit. Plus, no one there liked me. They scoffed at my clothes and said I was just trying to get attention from people because I feared to be disliked. Ha, what nerve. They never understood me and I never cared to understand them. Why understand anyone if no one in the world likes you" she explained. The count laughed at her last statement. "What?" she asked, a little displeased. "Great, just when I thought there was a decent person in the world, he goes and laughs at me, too" she thought.  
"It's just..." he began. "Well, look around you" he said. To Taki's surprise, all the animals not in cages were sitting around her comfortably.  
  
"We like you, Taki" said the sweet Pon-chan. Taki smiled, though she tried to hide it.  
"You see Miss. Taki, just because a lot of people say it, doesn't make it true. These animals like you. Ginger likes you and I have yet to find any reason to abhor you" he said in his usual calm tone.  
"I suppose you're right." said Taki. She then smiled and though, "It looks like I'm coming here more often"  
  
Okay, this was just a basic summary about Taki and Ginger. The next chapter I really get in to it. Stay tuned for more updates. Thank for reading. Please review! 


	2. Demon

Demon  
It was late in the afternoon one day. Taki and Ginger had been in the pet shop since it opened that morning. The sound of footsteps echoed through the pet shop. "D, I'm here to pick up Chris" said the detective. D unlocked and opened the heavy door.  
"Good afternoon my dear detective" D said. Leon just rolled his eyes at the counts words and said hello to Chris. Leon stopped abruptly. He looked behind him and saw Taki sitting quietly, sipping the tea the count gave her while reading. Leon raised an eyebrow at her.  
"A gothic chick in here? And she's reading? Weird" he thought. He was soon disturbed by Taki's voice.  
"What? Never seen a gothic girl before? I know, I know, I'm just so freaky looking I must be insane so you have to stare. Go ahead. Continue" she said calming down when she said her last few statements.  
"I've seen you before." Leon said. In the back of his mind his male instincts were twitching. "She's hot" he thought. Taki didn't answer. "At least show a little curiosity! For all you know I could have seen you in my...criminal...files..." he said.  
"Detective?" said D with concern in his voice.  
"That can't be where I've seen her" Leon thought. "There's just no way." He sat across from her, trying to identify her from behind a book. "Hey, you" he said hoping she'd put the book down. He sighed when she ignored him. "Come on, Chris. Let's go" he said disappointed.  
"Who is she, big bro?" Chris asked.  
"I don't know, maybe a criminal. But I don't remember too well. Let's just hope she's not for D's sake" he said. Suddenly he remembered D. "Oh crap, if she is a criminal, I can't let her be alone with D" thought the detective out of worry for his best friend, the count. He acted quickly and tried to grab Taki's shoulder. She pulled away and looked up from her book.  
"What's wrong with you!?" Taki yelled while Ginger bared her teeth and snarled at the detective.  
Ginger sniffed. "He's not bad Taki, but he obviously has a problem with you and that's not something I'm going to take" Ginger said getting ready to spring forward and attack the detective.  
"Those dogs don't scare me" said Leon trying to avoid the fact that he was indeed scared. "We have them on the force." Taki rolled her eyes.  
"He's afraid, Taki. I can tell he's lying. I can smell the fear on him" Ginger said with a slight cackle. Just then D stepped forward.  
"Please you two, that's enough. Detective I suggest you leave" he said  
"But..." Leon protested.  
"It's quite alright detective. I can take care of myself" said D with his usually clam smile. Leon sighed and began heading for the door. Both Leon and Chris said good bye to the count and walked out the door. "Forgive him Miss. Taki. He's unaware of his own arrogance" he said. Taki's eyes softened. Ginger sat herself down on the couch. She licked D's hands.  
"Sorry for being such a trouble maker" Ginger said despondently. D gently patted her on the head. His kindness was his way of accepting her apology. Just then, a loud pounding disrupted the silence. T-chan and Ginger raced to the door, ready to protect everyone at all costs. A rattling sound was heard from outside. Someone was picking the lock. "A runaway criminal no doubt" Ginger said bitterly. The door burst open. The criminal was a muscular man in all black. He jumped back when he saw Taki and the count inside. "Damn! I didn't' think anyone would be in here!" he thought. "Guess I'm going to have to keep them quiet." He tried to walk over to the count but T-chan blocked his way. He took a step back and Ginger leaped on him with great speed. No one, not even the spectators, knew what hit the criminal until he landed on the floor and the blur's form became clear. He pulled out a knife and cut Ginger's shoulder. Ginger released him and was then struck in the face by the man's fist.  
Taki got up, angered. She took off after the criminal, who was now making his way back up the stairs. A few crashes were heard. Afterwards, it was dead silent. Worried, the count went up the stairs to see Taki. When he finally found her she was sitting on one of the very top steps almost in tears. In the dim moonlight, she looked like a wounded deer. He crept closer. He sat by her side and notice pieces of cloth that looked like plucked raven's feathers were scattered on the steps. He looked at Taki again and noticed her fishnet sleeves had been torn and she was covering her arms. He reached for her hands. She turned her back to him. "No, don't look at me" she said, choking on anxiety. The count ignored her words.  
"Taki, let me see what you're hiding" he said. His calm voice made Taki feel at ease so she began to reveal her arms. What he saw horrified him. It looked like a spider's carefully woven web but it was something much worse than that. Taki's arms were covered with scars. He looked at both arms. Out of many scars on her arms, one looked recent. "What happened here?" he asked pointing to the most recent scar.  
"He...he cut me" she lied.  
"Tell me Taki" he said.  
"I cut myself" she said and soon began to cry.  
"Is this why you always wear long sleeves?" he asked. She nodded. "Is this why you pulled away from the detective?" he asked. She nodded again. She broke down.  
"Life is just so stressful. First my mom was the problem so I started when I was in eighth grade. Then I felt so lonely after high school. Then it was my job and the horrible people there. And even though I'm away from home my mother still won't leave me alone!" she said burying her face into her hands so to muffle the sound of her crying.  
The count tried to touch her arms but she pulled away. "Please Taki. It's alright, I won't hurt you, I promise" he softly. Taki was once again won over by the count's gentleness. The count touched her most recent scar and she pulled back in pain. "I'm so dreadfully sorry Taki" the count said quickly. "Please forgive me" he continued.  
"You did nothing wrong, count" she said.  
"I believe I did Miss. Taki. I promised I wouldn't hurt you and I clearly did" he answered.  
"Oh, D you're just so...." That's she could say before collapsing into the counts arms in tears. The wind gently brushed itself on the two of them. The count, realizing it was getting much too cold, escorted Taki back inside.  
The count made Taki some more tea and dressed Ginger wound. He sat by Taki's side and held her until her tears subsided. "Are you alright now?" he said tenderly. Taki nodded and inched closer to the count, though it seemed she was already as close as she could get. Ginger walked over to the count and sat on the floor. She looked up at him with her puppy eyes.  
Thank you count" she said. The count patted her on the head again and once again that was all Ginger needed to know what he meant.  
Taki felt so comfortable with the count. As she was about to fall asleep she thought: "Why is he like this? Can this be possible? I never thought I'd meet anyone in the world who was as kind as this. No ones ever made me feel this way. Am I...in love? No! That's insane. But still...I've never felt this way about anyone and no ones ever felt this was about me...." With that she drifted to sleep in the counts arms. Her sleep was so peaceful; one would assume the ordeal that night had never happened.  
  
Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I hope new readers as well as others who read my first chapter, will review again! To: MagicalGirl: I'm glad you like my screen name and my stories. I had this story in mind a while ago but I didn't think anyone would read it since I thought everyone was obsessed with the Leon/D pairing. When I saw the success ERH was getting I was glad to discover people would actually read my story so I began working on it. I hope you enjoy this chapter. To: saya fujimiya: I have granted your request and I hope you like this chapter too. To: Nobody-Special: Yeah, I wanted a change from slash PSOH, too. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I hope you like this chapter, too. 


	3. DVD

DVD One Saturday afternoon, Leon was at a party in a bar for one of his partners. Next to him was a long time friend of Leon and almost everyone on the police force. His name was Paco. He was very short, as thin as Count D, Mexican and gothic. Paco moved his long black hair out of his face and stared down the martini glass and the olive twirling inside. He held the thin bottom of the glass gently between two fingers. Then, in seconds flat all of the drink was gone. Leon looked over at his friend. Paco's gothic exterior made Leon remember Taki. He looked away so to not over worry about the strange girl he had seen at the pet shop.  
"Know what?" Leon asked. Paco turned to his friend. "Help me out here, help me get my mind off this girl I saw" he said.  
"You like her and can't have her?" Paco asked. Leon shook his head. "Suspicious looking?" Paco asked.  
"Sure is" Leon said. "And the way you dress isn't helping" said Leon jokingly. Paco raised an eyebrow. "She's gothic, I mean. She looks sort of Hawaiian, and she has this German shepherd with her. Long black hair, dark brown eyes, and crazy as hell too" he said. Just then, a look came over Paco. A look that told Leon, Paco knew who she was. "Who is she?" asked Leon. "I know you know! I can tell!" he finished excitedly.  
"Taki Lau, my best friend growing up. In fact, around sophomore year of high school, she asked me to make a video of her since I was good with a camera. It's a long video; it basically has everything from sophomore to senior year on it. Not all of it, but plenty of highlights and believe me, there were a lot of highlights" said Paco.  
"Anything bad?" Leon asked.  
"Oh yeah" Paco answered.  
"Let's go get that tape" Leon said.  
"It's a DVD. And why do we need it?" Paco said. "You'll see. And while we're at it, to play it safe, let's get the DVD player too" Leon said getting more enthusiastic by the minute.  
Moments later, the two men arrived at the pet shop. "D!" Leon called. "D, come out here! You too Taki!" The count opened the door slowly and gave the detective a displeased look. "Where's Taki" Leon asked looking around the shop.  
"She's not here detective. She had some business to attend to. Something along the lines of cat rescue I believe" the count said.  
"Oh yeah, she used to do that all the time with Trisha" said Paco behind a bulky DVD player.  
"Oh yes, that was the woman's name!" said D. "Oh, pardon me. Who might you be?"  
"I'm Paco, one of Taki's old friends. You sure the girl she went with was Trisha?" replied Paco. The count nodded. "Well I'll be damned, Trisha's' still alive" Paco said. Leon and the count looked at him strangely. "Anyway, so Leon, where is this thing supposed to go?" asked Paco gesturing to the DVD player.  
"Detective, what exactly is all this for?" D asked, obviously confused.  
"It's time for you to see who your new little friend really is!" Leon said proudly.  
"This is supposed to be something to 'expose' Taki? Fine, whatever you say Leon, but all this happened a long time ago and anyway, I bet she won't ever do the stuff we used to do again" Paco said.  
"Hook it up to the TV. You said it was long right Paco? Well just skip to the bad parts and stuff" said Leon, completely ignoring Paco. Paco rolled his eyes and began looking for a TV.  
"Detective, I'm sure all of this isn't necessary. Taki is a lovely person and her past won't change what she has become" said D calmly. D noticed Paco's struggle. He sighed. "It's over there he said" pointing to an old TV. Paco placed the DVD player in front of the TV. He dusted it off.  
"Man, this thing hasn't been used in years, has it?" Paco asked.  
"No, I only watch it occasionally to see the news" the count answered.  
Paco began hooking everything up. "Okay, it's ready" Paco said after a few minutes. "Okay, this was filmed by me and a girl we called Roo. Whenever I couldn't be around to film, she filmed and we joined the two videos" Paco explained. "I'm just saying so whenever you see a bathroom scene I wasn't there, it was Roo" finished Paco. Leon gave Paco a weird look. "What? I don't want to look like a pervert. Stop looking at me!" answered Paco. Leon laughed and turned his attention to the TV. The count sat down unwillingly and watched as well. "Well, nothing much happened during sophomore year except a few parties with drugs and alcohol" said Paco occasionally stopping at wild party scenes in which Taki or a friend was doing drugs or drinking.  
Suddenly, the picture began to stop. "Junior year" said Paco. "My birthday really sucked that year. You might want to close your eyes" he said.  
Soon the camera was viewing Taki. "Paco, what's wrong? It's your birthday" she said.  
"You know how I said my mom threatened not to get me anything?" he asked. Taki nodded. "Well, looks like she wasn't kidding. She just said some stuff about not caring so I just left" he said. "So, for my birthday, I want a slashing party." A look came over everyone there. They all knew what he meant. They had done it so many times before. Taki reached under her bed and pulled out a mahogany box. She opened the box and what was inside gleamed. They were knives, intricate knives with spectacular patterns. Taki pulled out one with a silver bat resting on top of the handle. A group of hands hovered over the box and in a flash the knives were gone. Then, splatters of blood came from all directions. This celebration of self destruction turned into a wild festivity. Drinks found in a cabinet under the TV were passed around. People pulled cigarettes out of their pockets. The gathering of morbid souls ended with everyone smashed. Taki's friends stumbled out into an empty living room. That's were Paco ended the scene.  
"Taki's parents were never home he said. We got away with parties like those all the time. No one ever cared so it never mattered to us" he said slow searching again. "Oh, here's the start of the anarchy club" he said.  
The scene began with Taki standing behind what was supposed to be a podium. The anarchy flag hung loosely behind her.  
"I want to be the minority. Down with the moral majority 'cause I want to be the minority" said the stereo. The song "Minority" by Green Day was chosen to be the opening of the first meeting. Taki and the group conversed about the faults of society for a while. Finally, their talk which most would consider disturbing finished with the sound of the group shouting: "Anarchy!"  
Paco slow searched again without saying a word. He stopped at a scene where all that was seen was the image of a city. The caption at the bottom read: "Christmas—Senior Year."  
Just then Taki stepped in front of the camera holding a rolled up white piece of cloth. "Ready, Paco?" she asked.  
"Of course" he said. A group of people walked in front of the camera. A gothic girl handed Taki a black pole. Taki began tying the edges of the cloth to it. When she raised the pole the cloth unfurled to reveal itself to be the anarchy flag. Taki pointed to someone and music began to play. A view of Paco holding the camera was then seen. The camerawoman's voice was heard. "Hi, Paco!" she said.  
"Hi Roo" said Paco turning towards her for only a second. The camera moved away from Paco and the sights of another flag unfurling was seen. The atheist group had apparently teamed up with the anarchists, as the flag the other group had was black and had a picture of a cross with a read circle and a line through it. Just then, music was heard. It was "The Fight Song" by Marilyn Manson. "I'm not a slave to a god that doesn't exist" said the boom box much to the atheist's content. "I'm not a slave to a world that doesn't give a sht" said the stereo much to the anarchists content. Somewhat of a parade began and "The Fight Song" was their theme song. People emerged from their homes. Objects were thrown at the crowd.  
"Merry Christmas!" shouted Taki slightly cackling afterwards. The crowd booed. Each group saluted their flags in retort.  
Their march ended quickly as the spectators were getting violent and news was spread that someone had called the police. The screen went black. When the camera was turned on again, both groups, clearly out of wind, were sitting on some hidden cliff sides. A girl got up and looked to the camera Roo was holding. "Bye Roomana" she said.  
"Bye Rosie" she said.  
"You're going?" Taki and Paco asked in unison.  
"Yeah" said Rosie with a smile. Rosie reached into her pocket and pulled out something that glistened in the faint sunlight. In a second the object was seen being raised to her neck and in a display of sliver and red, Rosie had fallen. No sound was heard. Just a flurry of movement was seen.  
"Oh my God" said Roo turning off the camera. And that was the end of the scene.  
"Here's the first funeral scene" said Paco pushing the slow search button again. "There are too many of these to show, but the first one is the most important" he said.  
"Too many of them? How many funerals did you go to in just your senior year?" asked Leon.  
"About six or seven" Paco answered. Leon looked over to D and was about to say something insulting about Taki. However, D didn't look so calm anymore. It looked as if he were about to cry. Leon thought better of his plan and said nothing.  
"Rosie had a note in her pocket that explains her final wishes" said the priest at the opening of the scene. "She said she wanted Taki to sing her favorite song." Taki got up. She knew what that song was.  
"We have no future. Heaven wasn't made for me...." she sang. At the end of her song all she said was: "In the Shadow of the Valley of Death by Marilyn Manson."  
Paco found the part that was of most importance. It began with a woman walking quickly towards Taki. "What kind of song was that to sing at my daughter's funeral, you murderer?" asked the red haired woman. Taki looked back but said nothing. "That's right, you're a murderer. Your sick thoughts convinced Rosie to do it. Stupid kid, you killed my daughter!" the woman screamed. Taki turned her back to the woman and Paco ended the scene.  
"Okay, before you judge her, I'll show you one final scene. Our graduation scene" Paco said.  
The scene began with Taki receiving her diploma. After everyone had received one the hats were tossed a few last words were said and the graduates left the auditorium. The view went black for a second and Taki and the rest of their friends were seen on the floor of a grassy park. Taki had an acoustic guitar in her hand. "There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold, and she's buying a stairway to heaven" Taki began.  
As the final piece of the film was being watch Taki silently walked through the doors of the pet shop. She caught the sound of her voice. She quietly walked over to the where everyone was sitting. She stood a few feet away from them, waiting for the right moment to reveal herself.  
"And she's buying a stairway..." said the Taki on TV.  
"To heaven" the real Taki finished. Everyone watching was startled.  
"Oh my, Miss Taki! I'm...I'm terribly sorry, I shouldn't have watched this. I shouldn't have pried into you life like that" said the count getting up and quickly getting out of her sight. Taki was about to call for him to stay but something told her to let him go. She looked down to find Paco unplugging the DVD player and leaving along with Leon. She said nothing to them even though she hadn't seen Paco in years. She just walked into the back room were D had gone. She found him slumped over. He looked almost like a wounded deer. "It's okay D" she said. "It doesn't bother me. That's my past and I don't care about it anymore"  
D rose. He found it hard to resist Taki's gentle voice. He moved closer to her. In a matter of seconds, though it seemed like ours to them, their arms were around each other and all was well again.  
  
To: saya fujimiya: Alas I have updated again. I hope you enjoyed this chapter also.  
To: Magical Girl: I don't mind the advice. In fact you might see your ideas in an upcoming chapter. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.  
To: WITCHCHICK3.0: I'm glad you are enjoying my story. On the subject of line spacing, I swear to you, I am spacing but it comes out all smashed together when it appears on this site. (  
To: Erik'sRose: Thank you for the kind word. I strive for believability. I hate stories with things that will obviously never happen in them.  
To: elvenrarehunter: I looked up telekinetic and telepathic and they are synonyms so both are correct, however telepathic is the more correct way of describing it. So you are indeed correct.  
To: Heaven sent me: Yeah, the slash theme for "PetShop" was getting on my nerves so I wrote this just for a change. (  
To: FAN1: I'm glad you are enjoying my story. As I mentioned above, my lines don't come out right when submitted to this site.  
Note to everyone: I will be in Mexico from July 20th to August 10th. My family in Mexico does have internet access and hopefully their program will allow me to change the language I type in. I need spell check, so it won't help me to write English stories in a Spanish word program. Nonetheless, I will still attempt to update. Sorry for the long chapter. See you around everyone. ( 


	4. Defend

**Defend**

It was about noon, a week after the DVD incident and Taki was still not at the shop. However, D was calm as usual. He knew Taki could take care of herself. The next thing D knew there was a pounding on his door. Just by the harshness of the knock, D could tell it was Leon. He walked over to the door knowing he was in for another one of Leon's attempts to drive him away from Taki.

"Hello detective. Taki isn't in, but please do come in" he said calmly.

"She isn't, huh? Well, listen up anyway. I did a little more research on her yesterday and guess what. She takes part in illegal sword fights. I knew it was around this time so I decided to see if Ms. Suspicious was in it. Sure enough, I caught that little trouble maker before she even participated" Leon said proudly. He looked around only to find D pouring the tea, as if ignoring him. "Were you listening!?!" shouted Leon as he sat down.

"Yes detective. My, my, sword-fighting you say? It's all very interesting" D answered.

"Interesting? Well, maybe. But it's illegal!" Leon said forcefully.

"That's quite enough, detective. Now, have some tea. I'm sorry Chris isn't here as well. He's playing with Katherine (the girl with the Lhasa Apso)" said D

"That's alright, I have to get back to work soon and if Chris is coming back late enough, you can come with me" Leon said anxiously.

-------------------

Meanwhile, at Taki's house, Taki was getting ready to head out for the pet shop. She eyed her sword. It had been so long since she used it. She knew today was the fight, the fight that was known as _"New Moon." _She gazed at the blade. The streak of light cutting diagonally across the blade made it look as if it were made of diamonds. Just then, the sounds of footsteps were heard. Taki slowly walked over to the door and opened it. It slightly creaked. Then, to Taki's surprise, there was a woman there about ready to pass out. Blood was staining the concrete on the front porch.

"Bloody Rose" Taki whispered. The woman looked up. She was wearing a tight red leather dominatrix outfit. There were two belt-like straps around the waist with shining gold buckles. Her outfit was a top built into a mini skirt. Two triangular cuts were made into the side of the skirt part and the reached up to almost the highest point of her thigh. Her red gloves that reached just above her elbow had blood running down the sides. Her weapon, a whip, was clenched tight in Bloody Rose's hands. It was black with three iron nails going down from the tip, those were to strike the opponent to make the wound burn and bleed....

"New Moon needs you" said Bloody Rose. "Zeus has sent a despicable fighter to take his place this year. Please, it's terrible" she finished.

"I...I'll be there in a minute" said Taki. She reached for her sword. It had been the first time in about a year she grasped its hilt. A surge of power flowed through her. Though she knew when a weapon made you feel powerful it wasn't good, Taki had to go for the sake of everyone in the tournament.

When Taki had arrived at the tournament it was just about to start. She looked at Rose curiously. "How did...how did the beast fight you when the tournament hasn't even started?" Taki asked.

"Zeus is trying to eliminate the competition. He got rid of me first because I'm supposedly on the 'top fighter' list" she explained pushing her short black hair out of her face. Taki nodded to show she understood. She walked over to a man holding papers. She registered for the fight. She knew she shouldn't because of how easy it was to get blood lust and how easy it was to get in trouble.

Little did Taki know D and Leon were watching from overhead. The fights took place in an outdoor area. It was basically abandoned apartment buildings with a big outdoor hallway above and a giant outdoor area below. There was silence, and then an announcer walked into the center of the "ring."

"Welcome to New Moon! First fight, Taki and James!" said the announcer. Taki cringed at the name of the man she was about to fight. James walked into the fighting area. He was elegantly dressed in white with a blue vest lined with gold stitch. The man smiled and pulled out a thin rapier.

"Taki, it's been years" said James with a smile.

"I never liked you. Not then, not now" Taki answered. The announcer gave the signal for the two to start, James grabbed Taki violently. He pulled her close as if about ready to give her a kiss. Taki fought furiously.

"These fights are absolutely vicious" commented D.

"Yeah, there are no rules. So really everything that guy is doing is a perfectly legal maneuver" Leon said. He looked over and saw D make beginning to make his way over the guardrail. "What are you doing!?!" Leon shouted pulling D back.

"Detective, this has gone on long enough. I'm sure what that man is doing is harassment" D answered still not losing his cool however.

"Well, you can't jump down out of nowhere. People are going to look up and see me and get freaked out because I'm a police officer, then we'll never catch these guys" said Leon. D sighed and bore in mind that Taki could fend for herself. The best thing he could do now was just let the fight progress. As soon as he looked down to watch again Taki had plunged her sword into James's shoulder. The fight was over and Taki was the victor.

About an hour or so later, it was the final battle and Taki's turn to fight Zeus's beast. A creature walked out. It has the body of a man but claws longer than anything Taki had ever seen. Ginger sat in the crowd growling. It had a black blindfold over its eyes. It was still underdeveloped. The blindfold was to protect its weak eyes. However, its sense of hearing was astounding. Taki moved forward but got cut in the sides. That was the only thing the horrid mutant needed to repeatedly slash her with its claws. It got about ten to fifteen hits in and Taki was beginning to stumble. She managed to slice it across the chest. It cut her a few more times and she plunged the sword in him a few more times. The battle ensued for about five minutes and both fighters were weak. Taki could barely see and she had lost tons of blood. Then in about as quick of a movement Taki could do at the moment she plunged her sword into its chest and the mutant convulsed in pain on the floor. After the long cheer Leon came out of "hiding" and revealed himself to the fighters.

"You're all under arrest!" he said. With that, everyone left the area as fast as greased lightening. "Damn!" said Leon furiously. D walked out behind him.

"Taki's' gone" he said. "We must find her, she's too weak to wander around alone"

"Alright D. But I can still say I told you so" Leon said.

D ventured into an alley and saw Taki staring down Zeus. He carried a sort of pickax and was about ready to take Taki out. He swung the pickax. Taki being too slow to move was. Again she was struck. This brutal assault didn't go on for too long however; the damage being inflicted on her was heavy. Taki made her final movement quick. She defeated him the same was she defeated his creature. The muscular Zeus fell to his knees and slowly slunk away. To this day, Taki still doesn't know what happened to that horrible man. She fell forward in pain and D ran over to her.

"D...you came" said Taki softly. She knew he was there even though she had her back turned.

"Yes, of course I came" D said. He kneeled down to her height and let her lean her upper body on him.

"D, I think you're going to have to take her to a hospital or something because she's bleeding badly" Leon said.

"Of course, detective. But you must get back to work. Don't worry, I'll take her" said D with the same confidence he always had in his voice.

----------------------

I'm back! Sorry, I didn't update. My friend who moved to Washington came to visit so I went all over the place with her. Now to my reviewers:

ERH: I'm glad you liked my chapter. Hope you liked this one too. By the way, thanks for the spacing tip. Hope it works!

Magical Girl: A lot of people seem to liking how I think these days. COOL! And also, you are quite right about ERH and I's' quick popularity. Glad I made your week!

Heaven sent me: You don't get praised a lot? I don't see why you wouldn't, you're really cool. I hope you liked this chapter too. You'll have to wait and see what Taki is though.

WITCHCHICK 3.0: I did get inspired. I can't wait for you to read the chapter I got inspired to write in Mexico.

Erik's Rose: I did have fun in Mexico. Thank you for reviewing. I'm hoping you love this chapter. As I said before, I got really inspired in Mexico, I'm so glad I went to see my family. :D

Saya fujimiya: Yet another update. Hope you liked it. Adios

Sweet 'n' SASSY: Yes, non- slash is good. My story isn't that good, is it? Is it really like heaven and stuff? COOL!

Nobody-Special: I have fulfilled your wish for an update. Hope you enjoyed. Why do you call yourself nobody special? You seem cool enough to be called special to me.

Just a random reader: Yes, God loves everyone. That's why he will always try to grant your wishes. Now, I suppose I'll play God and grant your wish for an update.

Apocalypse Cow: You obviously didn't understand my story. If you want me to email you the answers to all your questions please indicate in a review. I know I'm better than what you say, however.

AlOoPiEnEwBiE: I'm so glad you like it. I really did get inspired too. What you said in your review was exactly what I was going for. Cool, now I know my writing makes sense.

I will surprise you with my Mexico inspired chapter about three chapters from now. Until then you'll have to wait. Sorry. Oh, and also sorry for the cliff-hanger. I hope you enjoyed.


	5. Delirious

**Delirious**

D picked up the fallen Taki. She moved slightly. Even in her state she managed to let out a gasp of pain. "You may go now, Leon" said the count. Leon was ready to say something, but he had nothing left to say. The next thing he knew, rain began to fall.

"I guess I'm going to have to trust you, D. After all, I really don't want to get involved and I can't take a bleeding suspect to the station" he said. With that he turned and walked away. "Damn" said Leon about five blocks away from where he left Taki and D. "Why did I trust him? After all this he's probably going to leave with her so she can't get arrested. Huh, why am I thinking all this stupid stuff? It's probably because I had her RIGHT WHERE I WANTED HER!" he said pulling out a cigarette. He searched for his lighter for a while. He tried to start a flame furiously. The lighter clicked and only sparks fell from it. Finally, it lit properly. Leon began to think again. He wished he had just taken Taki and not worried about her safety. He didn't like her anyway. "Aw, damn!" said Leon throwing his cigarette to the ground and stomping it out. "Letting her go, what a stupid thing to do!" he yelled.

Meanwhile, back at the pet shop, D was just arriving. Ginger's claws were clicking against the concrete steps. D unlocked the door and pushed it open. Ginger shook herself off outside and walked in. T-chan walked over to Ginger.

"She's going to be fine, right?" he asked.

"Of course she is. Taki could always take care of herself and besides D's' watching over her" Ginger answered adjusting her choker.

D laid Taki down on his couch. He covered her with the blanket that hung over the couch across from where Taki was. He walked over to where he kept his incense. He carefully picked one long thin stick out and lit it. The smell filled the room quickly. It was strong, something not even the animals at the pet shop had ever smelled before. He walked over to the injured Taki. He lifted her up slightly, sat down and let her lay on him. He stroked her hair. "Taki" he whispered. "Taki, tell me everything about this" Taki stirred and her eyes fluttered open but only halfway. She tried to speak but only jumbled noises came out. Finally, the words came out.

"When we were young...we sword fought. After high school...they started New Moon. People from...all over the place...came to fight. There was this one guy...the one you saw...he came too" she said

"Where did he come from? What do you know about him?" D asked.

"I don't...I don't...." was all Taki managed to say.

D covered Taki's eyes. "Try to remember" he whispered.

Taki began to see contorted figures, spirals of color and light. Images of strange women began to form then disappear. Familiar words came into her head, she could hear them faintly but they were so hard to understand. She began to see the faces of her friends. They were young though, still teenagers in fact. The looked like they were laughing but no sound came out. A twist of red came out from the center of the images and bright light followed behind it. As the spiral grew closer it looked like a flame wheel. She could see it slither closer, like a snake. It looked as if it were about to touch her and she panicked a little. However even as it passed by her, her skin did not burn. It looked so real Taki forgot it wasn't. In fact, she didn't even know if she though it was real to begin with. She lost awareness of everything. Even though she was totally limb and felt almost helpless mentally, she knew she had to tell someone something, but what? She still couldn't remember. Then, just as the figures and colors began to get brighter, she remembered.

"He was from...California...northern California. He grew up...to be some genetic scientist...making creatures in a laboratory. He used to scare us...with dreams of making a human...to destroy all other humans. He said...if he won the tournament...he would use our blood. We all vowed...to win...so he wouldn't go so far. James...took a shine to me...but he went too far...he wanted power, money and me...but I wanted a comrade. He couldn't take it...so now...he'll stop at nothing for me...even if it means...my suffering" she said.

"So the monster you fought was one of Zeus's creations, the so-called human-to-kill-all-humans?" D asked softly.

"Yes...but it won't work...on me. I can't...tell you why. That would mean...the defiance of my family" she answered. D nodded, he plenty about family loyalty. Sofu constantly reminded him of that.

"I see" he whispered. The animals began to inch towards them. They hesitated as they thought the two should be left alone. Their curiosity seemed to draw them closer. The scent of the incense was intriguing, too. They knew the scent had to be something along the lines of mystical because they had never been so attracted to an aroma before.

"Soft your fields so green...can whisper tales of gore...of how we calmed...the tides of war...we are your...overlords" Taki said.

"What does that mean, Taki?" D asked.

"It was...a song. A song by...by..." she couldn't think again.

"Please remember for me, Taki" said D

"By Led Zeppelin, we used to that line...all the time. It was like...our war song. Rose...Kaori...Mina and I...used to say that...before a fight. We used to fight...in fields...beautiful fields. The grass would be painted red every year...but we fought despite the fact...that it was our previous battle ground...where the blood still caresses...the roots of the grass. We hoped one year...we would defeat Zeus...and put an end to New Moon. We just wanted to stop the killing...and that line...seemed to promote our cause" she explained. D placed his hand under her chin and lifted her head higher. He lightly touched her face.

"As you grew older, it became harder and harder as he grew more into his obsession" he said. Taki only managed to nod before she collapsed into his lap. "My poor Taki, you're so underestimated. The world can't see how kind you are" he thought. With that, the smell of the incense died down and everything seemed normal.

"D?" Ginger asked.

"When she awakes she'll be fine. You don't need to worry, Ginger" said D.

Leon sat in his office shuffling through papers, still cursing under his breath. Work was over in a few minutes but he was still too angry to notice. Finally, a voice grabbed his attention.

"Are you okay, Leon?" asked his partner, Jill.

"No...why?" Leon snapped

"I figured, because work is almost out and you aren't even getting ready to leave yet" she answered.

"Really? Oh God, finally!" said Leon scrambling to get his things back in order. By the time he finished work was over. "See you everyone. I have something to do" he said running out the door. In a matter of minutes, he was at the doors of the pet shop.

"D!" he yelled. The door was pushed open and D welcomed the detective as usual.

"Where's Taki?" Leon asked demandingly.

"I told you, I took her to the hospital" D answered.

"Oh really? Well let me take a look around" Leon said. He searched the pet shop up and down. When he was done he looked at D angrily. "Well, she's not here" said Leon pushing open the doors of the pet shop. "I'll be back for Chris later" Leon called.

"Good-bye, detective" said D. Ginger and T-chan walked out of the halls that led to the back rooms.

"Good thing you only let a select few back here" Ginger said to D

"What the idiot doesn't know won't hurt him" T-chan answered.

D smiled at the two pets. "Well, our hearts are in the right place, even if it does mean deceiving out good friend the detective" D answered.

To my reviewers:

ERH: I'm glad I could excite your interests. I'm also glad the spacing worked. I hoped you enjoyed this chapter, too!

Erik's Rose: Yes, Mexico is a good inspiration for me. I always manage to write something really good while I'm in Mexico. Note to self: Go to Mexico more often.

Nobody-Special: I'm glad you like it. If you think these are good, you should see my Mexico-inspired chapter. Well, I have fulfilled you wish and I hope you are satisfied with the result.

Magical Girl: Try to guess where _this _is going. Lol, I joke. Anyway, thank you for the kind words. I hope this satisfied your need for more suspense.

Ruleroftheanimeuniverse: It's okay; I understand how hard it is to get to a computer these days. I mean with busy schedules and other such things. Glad you like my story.

WITCHCHICK 3.0: Glad you liked it. I don't think you're nitpicky. You seem cool to me. My vacations to Mexico always help. Be glad for Mexico, love the Mexico. Viva Mexico. Anyway, the impact of my vacation will really shine through in chapters to come.

Fan1: Your wish to read the Mexico chapter will soon be fulfilled. I did have loads of fun on my vacation and it really had an effect here. Yes, my flow needs a rest too sometimes and Mexico does wonders for me. Hope you enjoyed!

Note to everyone: Here is the countdown until the Mexico chapter: two more chapters to go. Oh, and for those of you who reviewed on August 20th picked a good day to review. That day was Robert Plant's birthday. He's the singer for Led Zeppelin, my favorite band. Hopefully some of my reviewers have heard of them, or at least Robert Plant. That was random, I know but I felt the need to inform everyone about the best day in the world, Robert Plant's birthday. ï


	6. Dragster

**Dragster**

It was many weeks after the incident with Zeus. Taki was almost fully recovered and Leon was almost over the fact that he let Taki go. However, Taki had once again managed to upset the detective. Count D's other daily visitor, Chris, had grown attached to Leon's nemesis. Today was a little different from the normal days at the pet shop where Leon and Taki exchanged insults until Leon had to leave for work and always managed to slam the door extra hard just before he left. Taki hadn't come to the shop for a few days and only Chris and D knew why (Chris never really understood why the Count told him not to tell Leon he knew of Taki's whereabouts).

Just then a soft knock was heard at the door and claws could be heard clicking on the concrete steps. Chris smiled and went to get the Count.

"_She's back, Count"_ said Chris. D followed Chris out to the main room. Taki pushed open the unlocked door. The look in her eyes let D know she was happy to see him.

"How was the competition, Miss. Taki?" asked D

"It was great. I'm in the finals tomorrow. I might have to go against my father though" she sighed. "It could be hopeless for me if that happens"

"_Why, Taki? I know you're good" _Chris said.

"Well, my fathers' been the champion since I was a teenager and he's still good" Taki answered with a smile towards Chris's praise. She began to scramble through her things. She pulled out some pictures envelopes. "I got them developed a few hours ago" she said.

D, Chris, and all the animals began to crowd closer. "There's my dad's and there's mine" she said gesturing at some pictures. As usual, Leon managed to show up at the quietest moment and make the most amount of noise possible.

"What are you guys talking about?" Leon asked forcefully.

"_Check out these pictures of Taki's dragster, big bro. See? Her dad has one, too! Aren't they cool?" _said Chris knowing of Leon's love of cars but unknowing of the obvious resentment he'd have toward Taki's.

"You drag race, Taki?" said Leon with obvious disbelief in his voice.

"Yeah, the finals are tomorrow. Which brings me to another reason why I'm here, D, would you like to come with me?" she asked.

"Too late, Taki, he has to watch Chris, don't you D?" said Leon trying to get the Count to deny the request.

Taki just smiled mischievously. "That's alright. Chris, do you want to come, too?" she asked.

"_Yeah! Can I, Leon?" _pleaded Chris.

"No" Leon said angered.

"Aw, does Leon want to come? I'm also inviting you, Leon. You can come, too" Taki said

"I can?" Leon asked

"He can?" D asked.

"Of course, I can tell he likes the car, don't you Leon?" she said with a laugh.

When the morning came Leon, D and Chris were all waiting outside the pet shop for Taki. It was a bit cold, but Taki told them to dress for heat.

"_Hopefully, _it's hotter over there than it is over here!" Leon complained.

"Now, now detective, Taki won't be much longer and I'm sure she knows about the weather over there" D said in Taki's defense. In a matter of minutes, a massive white trailer pulled up with a white, roomy truck pulling it. Behind it was black, roomy truck pulling a giant black trailer. Taki stepped out. Leon noticed she was wearing something that looked like D's. Leon merely raised an eyebrow at it but decided to ignore it.

"Good morning everyone" said Taki obviously excited over what was going to happen later in the day.

"Yeah, easy for you to say, you didn't wait in the freezing cold" snapped Leon

"On the contrary, I did have to wait for my father and uncle" Taki answered annoyed. "Anyway, this is my father, Yuan" she continued pointing to a tall Chinese man with short black hair.

"Good morning, sir" said D slightly bowing.

"Uh...yeah, good morning" said Leon attempting to bow.

"This is my uncle. We call him Otis" Taki said pointing to a man much shorter than her father but with the same style hair and almost the exact same face. Leon and D did the same introduction they did with Taki's father. Taki told her father and uncle who the three were in Chinese.

"Good morning" they said politely. Taki let D, Leon and Chris into the trucks and they were on their way.

After about an hour of driving and the sound of Leon's complaining, they pulled into the race track area. Within minutes of arrival, the canopy was set up and people began to cook. Then, Yuan's dragster, the dragster almost everyone wanted to see was being taken out of the trailer. It was sleek and long. It was blue and fire orange. People gathered around and waited. D and Leon looked at each other curiously. Taki's dragster was next. It was red with a dragon's head painted on the topmost part of the dragster. White and black wolves lined the sides. One black streak lined both sides as well. The dragsters were mounted up on two red things that looked like miniature slides. People began to plug their ears as the drivers stepped into their race cars. Leon, Chris and D decided to do the same for they had a feeling they knew what was coming. With what looked like the push of a button, turn of a key, or flick of a switch, the cars roared to a start. The drivers tested a full run. Finally, the noise died down.

"My ears are ringing..." complained Leon. D tried to avoid laughing. Chris ignored the two and walked over to the cars. "Well, at least Chris is having fun" Leon said.

It was now the afternoon. Two runs were left. Yuan and Taki had made it to the semi-finals. It was not their turn to race yet, and since they were both so good, everyone knew what that meant. Taki and her father would race against each other in the finals.... It's what Taki had feared from the start, but she didn't let it bother her yet. Taki looked up from the dragster.

"D, do you want to get in?" she asked with a smile.

"Me? Miss Taki, I couldn't possibly..." was all D managed to say.

"That's alright, how about you, Leon?" Taki asked.

"_What about me?"_ asked Chris.

"You can get in if you want. Just sit on Leon's lap. There's plenty of room for you" Taki answered. She led the two over to her car. She showed them both how to get in and let the two get comfortable. After a few minutes of showing the two the gears of the car, she finally showed them how to get out. After a bit of struggle the Leon and Chris managed to stumble out of the car.

"You should've done it, D. Who knew Taki could do that" Leon said trying to hide enthusiasm.

"You think I should've, detective? I wonder what Taki thinks of me now. I won't even go near the thing she seems to love" D sighed.

"Why do you care what she thinks, D. She obviously still likes you. She wasn't mad when you wouldn't do it" Leon said. "Oh, and another thing, is that _your_ robe?" he asked.

"Why, yes it is" D said simply. Since Leon didn't know the story of Taki's stay in D's place, he automatically jumped to a conclusion that actually helped Taki and D somewhat. It finally clicked in Leon's mind, though some facts were wrong, that Taki and D were developing something new. Yet at the back of his mind, because of his secret friendship with D and obvious resentment of Taki, he hoped it still didn't click right.

Three o' clock came quickly. The final match was as prophesized: Taki vs. Yuan. The trucks were loaded and the dragsters were pulled into the staging lanes. The finals were about to begin. Taki was in her fire suit again. It was all black and her helmet was black with fire and a heart with wings and a crown of thorns on it that had "Ginger" written in the center. Only a few cars were left. Each were ready to compete for champion of their division.

A man familiar to Taki approached her. "So you're back. What made you decide to come to this race?" he asked. Taki smiled.

"It's been a long time since I rock and rolled" answered Taki simply and with a smile as she headed for her dragster.

Finally, Taki and Yuan's cars pulled up. The pre-stage light came on for both of them at the same time as did the full stage light. Then the light flashed in sort of a countdown. The top yellow light flashed, then the next one. As soon as the third one flashed, they were off. The cars flew down the lanes and the crowds waited for the lights on the scoreboards to flash to indicate the winner. The gigantic scoreboards on each side of the track for each competitor seemed to freeze momentarily. Finally the lights at the top of a scoreboard flashed. The victor of the race was Yuan.

The group met Taki and Yuan at the end of the track. They were both congratulated and they made their way to the winners circle. The crew got their picture taken with Yuan holding his trophy.

"He's so good" said Taki proudly.

"_It's still too bad you lost though Taki. I wanted you to win" _said Chris

"It's okay, he's much better than me anyway" she answered with a smile.

"Yes, he's truly remarkable, indeed" said D watching Yuan curiously.

At about an hour or more later, Taki got a call on her cellular phone. She went inside the trailer to talk because it was so loud outside. When she emerged she looked calm but by all means she wasn't.

"We have to go home" Trisha's house got burned and the cats need to be taken care of. Everyone looked around obviously a bit worried.

"Let's go everyone" said Yuan calmly. All was packed up quickly. The hurried out of the track and drove down the road. It was getting late and darkness begn to engulf the sky. The stars peeked out from the layer of darkness. All the while, Taki just wondered about the fire. Almost as if she knew about what started it....

To my reviewers:

To ERH: Thanks for the luck. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Yeah, Robert Plant's birthday is the best day in the world. Hopefully, that inspiration will strike and I'll see an update from you too.

To Sweet 'n' SASSY: I'm glad you liked my chapter. About the review coming out a lot of times, that's okay. It's happened to me before. Lol. I hope you enjoyed this chapter too.

To MagicalGirl: I'm not the master, am I? Cool! Anyway, you aren't lame. I used your ideas in the story. I thought they were funny. I love your suggestions. In fact, the first suggestion you gave me will be seen in my Mexico chapter, which in fact is the next chapter. Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad you like my work.

To Just a random reader: Yeah, you'll see fluffiness soon. I'm glad you're enjoying this and that this story isn't boring anyone. Lol. I have fulfilled your request for an update and I hope you liked it.

To Nobody-Special: Yeah, D's getting REALLY attached. Lol, I'm glad you're satisfied. I imagined Taki to be the girl who showed him the other part of the world and not just to the parts he's used to. Kind of like showing him the dark side of the moon if you will. Oh, and now I understand why you use the name Nobody-Special. I think it's cool too. Very creative and mysterious.

**Note to everyone: There is a hidden song quote in my story. Whoever guesses right will get a special place in my heart. The next chapter is the Mexico chapter. So the next chapter is your chance to read what I've been so excited about writing and submitting. Until then, adios amigos! **


	7. Destination

**Destination**

The trucks came to a halt, the trailer pushing them a little bit farther. Trisha was on the front lawn. Her home looked as if it was being painted black, yet left unfinished. Trisha's nine cats all had burns on their right forepaws, which was odd since no one else had been injured, and knowing Trisha she probably went back into the house multiple times for the cats and she was unscratched. Also, the burns looked exactly the same, like something was coiling around their leg. Taki stepped out of the truck and picked up some cats. D followed her.

"D, I'm going to stay behind for a bit to help out Trisha. Can you please tend to her cats?" Taki said uncannily calm. D took the cats from her slowly so not to improperly handle their burns.

"Of course, Miss Taki" he answered. "Detective, Chris, I believe its okay for you to head home now" he added. Leon was going to say something. But what was there to say? He coaxed Chris to turn around and leave. Then he walked down the street muttering something about walking home and animals. D also went back to his pet shop with some cats in his arms and the rest following him.

When he arrived, Ginger and T-chan lay asleep next to each other on the floor. They awoke and curiously made their way over to the cats. Something told them these cats were different. Trisha's favorite cat, Mama's Girl, a sleek silver cat lifted her head. Ginger and T-chan looked at each other confused. Why didn't the cats look human? They were obviously not regular cats. Were they hiding their true form or were these just eerie house cats? Ginger adjusted her choker as she always did when ready to speak after a long while of not talking or when she was about to observe something important.

"I remember these cats. They used to sit in the window and be annoying so I used to yell at them all the time. Dumb cats..." she said. The black cat, Angel, rose and looked at Ginger momentarily with her large green cat eyes.

"Yes, and I remember you" said a voice. "It was so fun mocking you. Dumb dogs..." continued the voice. T-chan growled and eyed the cat. It must've been her who spoke. She was already suspicious enough as it was, who was to say a cat that odd couldn't do something like talk using telepathy?

"Don't talk to Ginger that way" snapped T-chan. The cat closed its eyes slowly as if it were about to sleep. She reopened them, stared at T-chan and walked off leaving a cold aura in the place she once sat. D returned with things to mend the cat's wounds. He examined the burns but they were like nothing he'd ever seen. All the burns look exactly like...a snake. However, these snake marking looked familiar. He had seen them on Aztecan pyramids. The skin and fur of these cats were different. He didn't know if it was normal for this new breed or if it was infectious.

Moments later, Taki arrived. D remembered she had said she was a vet so he asked her about Trisha's rare breed of cat. Taki seemed to struggle for words. Was there a secret to be learned? Taki was about to begin her explanation when suddenly a voice broke the silence.

"D" said a voice coming from Mama's Girl's direction. "You have all the power we need in this shop. There's something here that we can feel the power in. We remain unsure on what it is but it matters not. There is power here. Power to stop this wrongful doing" she continued

"Who are you?" asked D

"I am Malintzin and I am one of the nine fire cats of Tlaloc, the Aztec's god of fire, wind and war" she said. "These are my sisters. Together we set fire to the house because we knew we would be taken here" she said looking in the direction of the other cats.

Angel stood up. The black cat paused for a moment. "I am the second eldest, Anacaona. Taki, the resting places of our masters has been disturbed" she said shooting an icy glare at everyone.

"Your...masters?" D inquired.

"Yes, Tlaloc sent us to protect the leaders of the Aztecan people. These leaders were: Cautemoc, Itzcoatl, and Moctezuma" Anacaona answered. "Now, you shall come with us Taki and help with our cause" said the cat as her eyes glowed an ominous blue as did the rest of the room.

Soon enough D and Taki felt a hard, rocky floor beneath them. They looked around and realized that they were high off the ground. The sun looked so high one would think they could've touched it. They looked behind them and saw T-chan holding Ginger closely and tightly with their eyes firmly shut. They opened their eyes slowly and at the same time. When they realized they were unharmed they breathed a sigh of relief, however, they did not loosen their grip on one another.

"Taki" called Ginger. Taki looked back. "Is this the...Pyramid of the Sun?" she asked a bit nervously. Taki looked around and scanned the landscape. Smaller pyramids lined the outskirts of this old Aztecan civilization. However, there were no people. She looked to her right and there was a tall pyramid but it was much smaller than the one they were on. That was the Pyramid of the Moon.

"Yes, Ginger. This is the Pyramid of the Sun" she finally answered. In a few seconds nine women appeared before them. Each of them had a snake burn on their right arm and they had fangs and claws. They were the cats in their true form. Each of them had dark black hair and an intricate feathered headdress. Three-rowed shell anklets were tied around both their ankles.

"Come Taki" said Malintzin. Taki turned away. The cat closed her eyes and Taki was surrounded with a purple light.

"Hey! What are you doing!?" Ginger said furiously.

"Silence, I've had enough of you!" commanded Anacaona. With that Anacaona rattled the pyramids and sent a wheel of flames hurdling in Ginger direction. T-chan not thinking about his own safety pulled Ginger out of the way and almost got himself killed by the whirlwind of red and orange flames.

Taki began to transform. Her black shirt with blue flames changed into a large piece of cloth with Aztecan designs intricately decorating that covered her breasts. Then, her black pants began to take the form of a white cloth skirt with a red woven design of a snake and jaguar fighting on it. The skit was cut on the sides. The cuts stopped just below her upper thigh. She wore a crowing headdress of green feathers. The headdress ended at the middle of her back with feathers aligning the material all the way down. Her toenails and finger nails began to transform into claws. Complex markings began to cover the back of her hands. The shell anklets that were seen on the cats also began to wrap around her ankles as well.

"Now come, Taki. Or should I say Coyolxauhqui" said Malintzin just as Taki's transformation ended. Ginger had transformed as well. She was now wearing a long white dress with a green design of the ever common symbol of the Aztecs, the dog head.

"Right below us, men are working away to uncover the secrets of our masters. Now, we must fight to end it" said Anacaona to the other cats.

"You're planning to start a war over this? Your masters are dead, Anacaona!" Taki protested. Anacaona glared.

"You don't have a say in this" she shot back.

"I am the goddess of Earth and the Moon, I have more say than the cats of Tlaloc" Taki said ready to take action.

"Taki, what is all this?" D called.

"My mother was the Aztecan goddess Tlazoteotl. She was the goddess of Earth and maternity. My father Yuan was born from the soul of the great dragon that rules the skies so he was the dragon's son and a God of the moon. From the two was born me, Coyolxauhqui, goddess of Earth and moon and I was a goddess of the Aztecs and Ginger is Tlacoxochitl, my right hand" she explained.

Her explanation was cut short by the sound of drums. The cats took part in a dance. Their shell ankles rattled as they moved to the music. The feathers shook and seemed to dance in the air. The area around them began to glow blue. The Earth began to tremble a bit. Anacaona grabbed Taki by the upper arm. Her touch burned and when her hand was removed the burn of the snake had appeared on Taki's arm once again. Malintzin began to make the drum rhythm faster. The dancers moved faster as well. Taki then held out her hands, a small ball of green and blue formed and she began to say something in the language of the Aztecs. The cats grew slower and weaker, they fought to keep going. Their goal was to make the earth shake and to trap the scientist exploring their masters tombs inside and to crush all humans in the area. The cats finally stopped and the ball in Taki's hand expanded. It covered the area and a forceful wind blew. The cats fell to the floor and everything went blank.

When it was over, Taki and Ginger had returned to their normal state. T-chan had grabbed onto her as soon as the earth began to disappear before his eyes. Ginger breathed a sigh of relief. T-chan on the other hand didn't move, he just kept Ginger there as if he didn't know they were safe. Ginger didn't mind, she liked it when T-chan did that, so she just let herself relax in his arms. D was holding on to Taki. She looked over at D and he moved her hair out of her face.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly

"Of course" she said with a slight smile. "Thank you...for being the only person to care about me" she added. D said nothing. He only brought her closer to him and let her rest. He checked her right arm. Her burns were gone...and so were the cats.

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The next day D awoke and went to go get his newspaper. On the front page the headline read: "Excavators make narrow escape. Important discover found in Mexico City." Taki awoke soon after D and joined him in looking at the paper. Taki glanced through the article and saw a picture. Underneath it, it read: "A depiction of goddesses? This stone closed the entrance to the area the excavator were searching. No form of equipment can get through it or move it. However, researchers don't want to move the stone, as it could be important for research of this fascinating ancient culture. Some residents in the area believe it may have been a sign from God of possible danger to come of the excavators had continued in their search in the tombs." Taki looked closely at the picture. It was a painted picture of nine fierce red cats with women spirits rising out of their bodies. The women were the exact women the cats had turned into the night before.

"So the Aztecs knew about their mission and so...they painted pictures of them on the door of their master's tombs" said Taki with a smile as she folded up the news paper. She wouldn't have to explain to Trisha either, after all Trisha knew the time would come and the cats would have to leave. Taki wasn't the only one who knew their secret after all. She glanced over at D. She was actually thankful for what the cats did to her because without them, she wouldn't have had a chance to get closer with D and she knew Ginger though the same of T-chan.

"I knew you all were special from the moment I was sent by my father, who brought you home, to give you to Trisha. After all, my father hated cats but he knew of Trisha's exceptional cat care in the past and wanted to give you a good home. You had to be special cats if my father thought highly of you. Besides, you're Aztecs and we are special people. Anacaona, Malintzin, thank the others for me" she thought and as she thought, she knew the cats could hear her, wherever they might've been.

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To my reviewers:

ERH: Thank you for the compliment. I read your update yesterday and it was so good! As for the quote: You are correct! YAY! (hugs) The song is called "Rock and Roll" by: Led Zeppelin.

FAN1: I'm glad you liked my description things. I was quite proud of them myself too. Actually, I've had a lot of practice thinking of descriptions for them because that's the description of my car and my dad's car. I got really inspired to write a chapter like that in early summer because I went drag racing with my dad and I thought: "That would be so cool if I put something like this in the story!"

WITCHCHICK 3.0: I hope you liked my Mexico chapter. I got inspired to write it as I climbed the pyramids in Xochicalco. Even though that's not were this particular chapter takes place, the pyramids and ancient city do exist. The city in this story is Teotihuacan. It's the main place with all the pyramids. It's located in Mexico City. Whoa, did I really make Hades freeze over? O.O

MagicalGirl: Yay, thank you for your praise. You're cool too! Your suggestions were great and I will be using your moon festival ideas. Wow, I've never been someone's hero before. As for the guy in the library, he's stupid, let's throw rocks at him. Anyway, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. There will be a sequel to this story due to the outstanding reader turn out and the praise I get makes me want to write more because I don't want to disappoint anyone. I can tell people like my work so I won't let anyone down. Rock on, Magical Girl! (hugs) Oh, and by the way, I don't mind getting long reviews. You can go ahead and make 'em as long as you want.

Ruleroftheanimeuniverse: Don't worry, cuteness is coming soon. I'm glad you liked the drag racing aspect of the last chapter. I was hoping I didn't go into too much tedious detail but since I'm getting a lot of positive feedback, I guess I didn't. lol. Anyway, I hope you liked my Mexico chapter. I worked really hard on all the ideas and lots of research in Mexico as well as when I got back.

Heaven sent me: I'm so glad you liked it. Man, I'm so glad I didn't go over the top with my drag racing facts. sighs in relief And yes, as you can see in this chapter, there will be some Ginger T-chan action. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope you enjoy the next one because it will be my last for this story, but there will be a sequel.

Erik's Rose: Si! VIVA MEXICO! I posted this chapter today since it's Mexico's independence day. Anyway, Q-chan will make a small appearance soon and he will also make appearances in my sequel. I hope you liked it. This is pure-Mexico/MagicalGirl inspired work.

**--- Hi everyone! Yes, the next chapter is the last and yes, there will be a sequel. As you may or may not know, this chapter was submitted today in honor of México's Independence Day. VIVA MEXICO! Sorry, I love my culture a lot. Also, I'm writing a book called Of Blood and Wolf. My mom says she'll try to get it published too! Isn't that cool? So if you see it on bookstore shelves one day, please pick up a copy and if you do you'll find out my real name and then we can do this whole fan-letter thing if you want. Anyway, hope you all like the chapter, oh and to answer the quote question I asked in the previous chapter, the hidden quote was: "Been a long time since I rock and rolled." The song it came from was: "Rock and Roll" by: Led Zeppelin. Go ERH! She got it right. (claps) **


	8. Doorway

**Doorway**

It was early one fall morning during the time of the Moon Festival. Chinatown was bustling with a bright array of patterns and the sounds of preparation were heard throughout streets. D prepared a nice breakfast with oddly named sweets as the finishing course. To people who weren't familiar with D one would ask themselves why there were two plates stead of just one. D had by now come to expect Taki's visits just as he was always expecting Leon and Chris's visits. Just as he expected he heard a knock at the door and the sounds of dog claws clicking on the cement outside. D opened the door and smiled at his expected guest. Taki and Ginger strolled into the pet shop. As usual, Ginger went to T-chan's side and they snuggled close. D sipped his tea and finally spoke.

"Taki, would you care to come to the moon festival with me tonight?" he asked gently setting his tea cup back on the mahogany table.

"Of course I would. When should I be here" she answered with a smile but trying not to overreact.

"Don't worry about that Miss. Taki. I'll get you. After all, it'll be too cold tonight to have you come out here" he answered softly making Taki's heart lift. Just then a loud knock was heard at the door. Everyone in the shop knew who it was immediately. D opened the door and politely greeted the detective and Chris. Taki looked around the shop and thought to herself.

"D, by any chance...do you have a quetzal?" she asked. D was a little hesitant about bringing it out with the detective around, but he decided he would do it for Taki. He went to the back room and carefully got the little bird out of its cage. He stepped back in to the main area with a small green bird resting on his hand. The bird was small and green but its magnificent tail was long and elegant with a splash of red, purple, and yellow feathers mixed with the green. Its tail was at least two feet long but maybe much longer. He passed it over to Taki. The small bird hopped off her hand and made itself comfortable in her lap. "What's her name?" Taki asked.

"Her name is Luz. It means light in Spanish doesn't it?" he asked hoping his Spanish was correct.

"Ah yes, Luz is perfect for her. After all, that's exactly the sort of things she stood for to the Aztecan people" Taki said. "They were worshipped and thought to poses powers of fire. Who knows, maybe this little girl does."

Leon stood up. "Wait a minute!" he said. "I've learned not to trust this nut-job-filled pet shop. Put that thing away before it sets the town on fire!"

"Oh please, I'm sure she couldn't do any of those things" Taki said rolling her eyes.

"Give me the stupid bird! I'll put it away for you if you don't want to!" Leon shouted. Ginger barked at the detective in protest and inched towards him. Leon pushed her away before she got closer. T-chan sprang at the detective for his arrogance towards Ginger and began to bite. Ginger once again stepped in to help T-chan. In the commotion the quetzal flew off of Taki's lap and began fluttering around the pet shop in the most frightened state. Leon, trying to get out of the grips of Ginger and T-chan backed up against the door and forced it open. Luz saw her opportunity and fled out the door and became lost in the city sky. "Great..." said Leon as the bird disappeared even further.

"Leon, why did you chase her away? I like Luz and she's never hurt me" said Chris.

"It's true, he's handled her before and she was so kind to him" said D.

"Well, Chris, do you want to help me find her? I don't trust these two looking for a bird like that on some crazy Chinese holiday" Leon said. Chris nodded in agreement. He wouldn't answer because he was still too upset to see Luz go. With that, the two were gone without a single good-bye except a wave from Chris.

--------------------------

Later that evening, D arrived at Taki's house elegantly dressed as always. His flowing clothing was a solid black with a lucky red dragon snaking its way down. He rang the door bell and Taki emerged from her home. Taki wore and elegant dress with long sleeves. It was solid black with a pattern of dark blood red roses cascading down the sleeves. A dark velvet sash with fishnet covering secured the dress tightly to her waist. She wore stockings with small slits and her usual high boots. D couldn't help but smile as he had grown attached to Taki's way of dressing. He then held out his hand. Taki accepted it and stepped down from her doorway. Ginger poked her head out from behind the door and held it open. Taki looked back to see what was keeping her from closing the door. When she spied her dog she waved her back into the house but D stopped her.

"Actually, Miss. Taki, it's quite alright. She won't be a bother, I brought company for her" he said. With that D moved aside to reveal T-chan waiting at the bottom of the steps. Ginger didn't need an inviting gesture from Taki. She made it quite clear that she would be spending the night with T-chan by running down the steps to his side. Taki finally closed the door and the two couples headed down the street.

When they arrived at the area of the festival the city skies were lit with bright paper lanterns. The moon was perfect as always and the stars, though only few were visible, were gorgeous as well. The smells of the freshly prepared foods filled the night. D made his way to his favorite restaurant and opened the door for Taki. He whispered something to T-chan and a T-chan nodded in response. As Taki and D were entering Ginger and T-chan walked down the street. Taki and D spent about an hour at the restaurant. However, they couldn't leave without a colorful display of desserts as they both liked it.

Soon enough a parade started and Taki spied T-chan and Ginger walking down the street a few times. The two creatures acted sweeter towards each other that night than their masters had ever seen. But rarities were often seen during the Moon Festival. Mid-way through the parade D led Taki away and took her up the street. As they were walking they met up with Ginger and T-chan sitting on a street corner as if they were waiting for them. T-chan and Ginger followed Taki and D down the streets. They walked a long ways before they finally reached a high point. It was somewhat of a hill but the height made it feel like a mountain. At the top there was an amazing pagoda. D didn't let Taki turn around for some time. After they stepped into the pagoda he asked her to see the sights behind them. It was the most beautiful thing Taki had ever seen. The whole illuminating festival stretching for what seemed like miles was gleaming right before her.

"It's so beautiful D" said Taki as a breeze began to blow. She tried to make it look like she didn't notice the cold. D sat her down and spoke.

"I have something for you and it should prove to be useful tonight because you do seem to be getting cold" he said. He pulled out a box from underneath the seats they were in. He opened it and revealed the most beautiful blanket. It was made out of layers of silk and various other fabrics to make it warm. On it were golden stars and a wolf looking towards the sky. D wrapped it around her.

"Taki, I see now what you meant about family honor, but would you mind telling me more about..."he said not sure how to finish the sentence.

"My father was a Chinese god. He was the son of the dragons. My mother was a daughter of the Aztec gods. As the old ways faded the gods lost power like a faded memory. My family came to Earth to live without the stresses of the declining power. However, we still kept our powers it's just that there was no need for them at this point. We now only use them when Earth is in danger. The sun god has supreme power now" she explained.

"But why are you only an Aztecan goddess, and how did you get an identity here if you just appeared on this Earth?" D asked.

"I am not only an Aztecan goddess. I have many forms but my Aztecan form is my strongest because I am more attached to that culture. My last name, Lau means keeper of the dragon, and that's what my father was. We picked our name to stay true to us, as people. These celebrations never did that. It was always what we stood for, never who we were. That's why I think I'd be on earth now regardless of the power struggle" she said trying to hide her sadness. D pulled her closer. "Here I fell so much freer. I can do what I please as long as it abides by human law. As a full-time goddess I had to be careful who I loved because if the gods disapproved I'd be looked down upon, I couldn't feel hate or I'd be looked down upon. Almost everything I can do now would be looked down upon by the gods" she finished.

"Don't think about those things anymore, Miss. Taki. The fact is you're here now and now you can be free. And I'll be by your side to make sure of it" said D embracing her tighter. Fireworks illuminated the sky as Taki and D and Ginger and T-chan were holding each other. They cuddled for the longest time. Then, D lifted Taki's head. She wasn't sure of what was coming and she hoped for the best. D pulled hr close and they shared a wonderful kiss. Taki had never felt this way about anyone and it was getting more perfect by the minute. It seemed unbelievable, like a dream.

---------------------

About an hour later Taki and D arrived at the house. Taki looked back to see if Ginger and T-chan were close and she saw Ginger experiencing the same unexpected, perfect dream she had experienced back at the pagoda. She smiled because now she knew for sure her faithful companion was happy here as well. Taki called Ginger over to her. Ginger walked over to her friend without her usual stubborn hesitation.

"I had a wonderful time, D" Taki began. "This reminds me, I have something for you." Taki stepped into the house for a moment. When she returned she had a golden box wrapped in fine red and gold ribbon. "It's some Lips of Odalisque I bought from the best place I could find." D was surprised with this, and then he smiled.

"Thank you Taki. I don't remember the last time I had these" he said. Ginger snuck away from Taki as she and D were having their moment. She sat by T-chan then laid on him. He placed a caring hand on her head and stroked her soft black and brown-streaked hair. Taki and D embraced again and T-chan and Ginger did the same. The night finally concluded as Ginger and Taki walked back into the house after saying good-bye to their loves. Taki sat on the couch and thought for a while and she knew Ginger was thinking the same thing. She knew that the gods were smiling on her.

D arrived at the pet shop and Leon and Chris were waiting for him.

"Where were you D!?!" said Leon with the quetzal, Luz in hand.

"Taki and I went to the Moon Festival" he said simply as he took to the bird away from Leon.

"Really, did she invite you in?" asked the detective.

"No, detective. But, I may not have gotten through the doorway to her house but I'm certain I got through the doorway to her heart" he said closing the door behind him, silencing the city so he and T-chan could quietly enjoy visions of the beautiful night during the Moon Festival.

**The End.**

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ERH: Sorry about my spelling. Sometimes I don't read through my stories carefully enough. I hope you like this new chapter.

MagicalGirl: Thanks so much for your ideas. They really worked well with my story. If it weren't for you I wouldn't know how to conclude this story.

AlOoPiEnEwBiE: I'm glad you liked my Mexico chapter. I worked so hard on it. Hopefully you liked this one too.

Erik's Rose: I hope what Taki said in this chapter answered all your questions. Don't hesitate to ask because I have answers for everything I put in here. Hopefully you'll read my sequel to this story too.

Sweet 'n' Sassy: So glad you enjoyed the chapter. I already have a bunch of my ideas for my sequel. I can't wait to write it and I'm glad to hear you can't wait to read it.

WITCHCHICK 3.0: I love to add real life to my stories. I'm glad it shows. About Taki's goddess form, in Aztecan mythology goddesses had long toenails but not exceedingly long like claws. More like pointed tips. That's what Taki's look like.

Fan1: Thanks for the compliment. The father daughter race is only I dream I have. I'm not old enough to compete in my dad's league yet. I was 12 when I was in my first race and I have won some awards. I'm practicing so I can be as good as my dad, the three-time Nostalgia Eliminator champion. I got a long ways to go though. :D

Nobody-Special: I'm glad you liked my previous chapter. I'm glad you're happy about my sequel. I like to please my readers and I'm glad I've pleased you.

Ruleroftheanimeuniverse: Well, you haven't missed anything because of my long no-update period. Sorry about that. There's so much to do. But hopefully you'll forgive me and you enjoy this chapter.

Just a random reader: Sorry, about the fluff absence. I put a lot in this one though. Usually fluff in my stories doesn't come until the end. I'll be putting a little more of it into my sequel though.

Heaven sent me: Sorry I didn't update very soon. Hopefully the Ginger/T-chan action here is to your liking.

REBELia, the punk rocker: Yeah, my first chapters were a bunch of intro and stuff. I agree that there aren't enough Goths in stories. That's partially why I made Taki a Goth. I wanted to show that Goths could be good characters too. Hopefully, Taki is a good character. (Hopes) lol. Punk rock, eh? Do you like the Sex Pistols?

VAREKAI: I finally updated. I'm so glad you like it.

PrettySammi: You'll get a lot of Taki goddess action in my sequel. A lot of Aztecan stuff comes into play in it. I finally updated and I hope you like my chapter.

DragonPrincess: YEAH, GIRL POWER!! I'm sorry the update wasn't soon. I'm so glad you like it. Hopefully you aren't mad at me. Lol

Note to Everyone: I'm SO sorry I haven't updated in so long. I had school work, my friends' Quinceanera; my Quinceanera which was on October 16th, then came my birthday the next day and I did some stuff. Then I got a boyfriend and I've been doing stuff with him. Then more school work and I went to Knotts Berry Farms' Halloween Hautn last night with my boyfriend and my friend from 7pm to 2am. If you want to read up on how that went, which I think would be fun for everyone because it was pretty funny, just click on my website link in my profile, I wrote all about it. (grins). Well the sequel is coming soon so be ready. Tlaloc, the owner of the cats, has risen. Taki and Tlaloc have a bit of a dispute and he wants to let his reign be known. It's the worst timing too. The gods are regaining power, Tlaloc is at his peak and he isn't too happy. What exactly are the two fighting about? How does Tlaloc rise again? And what's with the strange party (you'll find out about this in about chapter two)? Please read. I love you guys! I'm so glad you like my story. I'll think of your reviews as a late birthday present and they'll be the best presents of all and I really mean that. Well, "From the Heart" is over, but you'll be seeing more from me in "What it is to Burn."


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